Acting New Zealand PM tells Australia to Change its Flag

Both the New Zealand and Australian flags are dark blue with the Union Jack emblem of former colonial power Britain in the top left corner

REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

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Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand's Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters called on neighbouring Australia to change its flag Thursday, saying it had pinched the Kiwi banner's design and was causing confusion.

"We designed it and they borrowed it and if we wanted to clear the matter up they should change their flag," Peters told reporters.

"It must be patently obvious that all over the world people are confused. I've been in places like Turkey and elsewhere where they've confused our countries on the basis of those flags. It's not helpful."

Both the New Zealand and Australian flags are dark blue with the Union Jack emblem of former colonial power Britain in the top left corner.

The only major difference is that the Australian version has six white stars, five representing the Southern Cross, while New Zealand depicts the constellation with four red stars.

Peters, who is temporarily leading the country while Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is on maternity leave, feels strongly about the flag issue.

The 73-year-old also raised it earlier this week, complaining "we got there first with this design".